Engraved Compass Meaningful Detail
Amy Bennett Best Details Portfolio
Unplugged Ceremony
Spring Wedding Invitation with Flower
Elegant Charleston Tented Wedding Reception
Rottweiler Wedding Cake Topper
Naked Wedding Cake
Basin Harbor Club Wedding Invitation
Matching Your Invitations & Flowers
Handcrafted Wedding Signs
SC Wedding Ring Photo
​5 Great Wedding Locations in South Carolina
Ring with Jewelry Complement Wedding Photography
Private Estate Wedding in Charleston
Destination Wedding Ceremony Barbados
Bouquet with Rustic Charleston Barn
Tic-Tac Backdrop
Jayson Munn Floral Bouquets
Charleston Elegant Destination Wedding
Charleston Summer Wedding Color Scheme
Goosefish Press Wedding Stationery
Custom Bridal Gown Hanger
Flowers by Debbie Cake Topper
Strawberry Wedding Cake Decoration
Fresh Flowers Cake Decor
Rose Petal Wedding Aisle
Whiteface Lodge Summer Wedding
Nectar & Root Ceremony Decor
Sunflower Homemade Bridal Bouquet
Cheese Wheel Wedding
Wedding Ceremony ocean
Ski Lodge Wedding Details
Ski & Snowboard Wedding Cake
Natural Reflection
Setting the Tone for the Ceremony
Best Charleston Ceremony Sites
Member of the Family
Orange Rose Boutonniere
polaroid of bride and bridesmaid
Pink Rose Boutonniere with Moss
Handcrafted Wooden Couple Cake Topper
Renting Boats for Your Lake Wedding
Happily Ever After Wedding Ribbon
Rings on Ornaments Winter Wedding Photography
bride in wedding dress with bouquet
purple and blue flowered cupcakes
The Dress Awaits
yellow rose religious bouquet
Destination Wedding Welcome Box
Valley Drive
Stairway to Heaven
beach wedding ceremony setup
wedding table settings
Curated Wedding Details Photographer
pink wedding cake with flowers
white seating cards
green tables
flowers in glass mason jar
The Start of Something New
Reading Farms Estate Weddings
Gorgeous Wedding Location
Classic Romantic Wedding Dress
Storied Events Wedding Ceremony
Charleston Reception Details
Basin Harbor Club Floral Arrangements
Elegant Charleston Wedding Seating Cart
Wedding Gown at Basin Harbor Club
Basin Harbor Club Ceremony Sites
A Schoolhouse Garden Bridal Bouquet
Unique Wedding Ring Photography
Chalkboard Wedding Signs
Tent Rentals for Private Estate Weddings
Bride and Groom Sweetheart Table
Charleston Table with Candles
Weddings at the Equinox
Jayson Munn Design Bridal Bouquet
Heavenscent Floral Ceremony Decorations
Goosefish Press Custom Wedding Invitations
Flowers by Debbie Custom Bridal Bouquet
Maplehurst Florist Arbor Flowers
Flower Dog Leash
Splash of Color Wedding Decor
Cathedral Church Wedding
Tented Reception at Shelburne Museum
Nectar & Root Bridal Bouquet
Bride Bouquet Label
Found Details Curated Photo
Smuggler's Notch Ceremony Site
Village Green Floral Bouquet
Lake Placid Lodge Wedding Photographer
Country Club Weddings
Shelburne Museum Wedding Photography
Trail of the Wedding Veil
Life's Firsts Meal at Mountain Top Inn
Gorgeous Wedding Table Setting
Wedding Invitation Considerations
Unique Bridesmaid Bouquet
Wedding Favor at Reception
Charleston Black & White Ring Photography
Embossed Wedding Menu
Why to Print Your Wedding Speech
Elegant Charleston Reception
colorful sunset at beach
tiffany blue box
foot jewelry
love
florenta flowers
Sweet Tower
Rehearsing the Game
Underground Treasure
wedding flowers table piece
place cards hung by red ribbon
hanging white roses
bride's blue wedding dress
Love's Costume
fields in Sonoma Napa
Vibrant Core
wedding crowd on dock
stars and lanterns
beautiful hanging wedding dress
Diamond Rings
Staggering Wedding Course
Lakeside wedding
bouquets of flowers on the table
Tented Weddings in Charleston
Charleston SC Weddings
Basin Harbor Club Wedding Photography
Welcome Box for Charleston Destination Wedding
Initials on Birch Tree Wedding Cake
Wedding Gown Photography with Bookcase
Shelburne Museum Wedding Invitation
Unplugged Wedding Ceremony in Charleston
A Schoolhouse Garden Centerpiece
Incorporating Old Photos Into Your Wedding Details
Basin Harbor Club Wedding Services
Jayson Munn Design Centerpieces
Heavenscent Floral Bridal Bouquet
Flowers by Debbie Bouquet
Multicolored Bridal Bouquet
Found Details Wedding Photography
Nectar & Root Cake Decoration
DIY Floral Centerpieces
Ceremony at Smuggler's Notch
Village Green Floral Centerpieces
Meaningful Wedding Details
Weddings at golf course
Place Settings for Wedding Reception Dinner
Sweet Gestures Mother of the Groom
DIY Wedding Banners
Dependable Nature Wedding Tent
Heart Ornaments for Winter Weddings
Delicate Bridesmaid Bouquet
Cultivated Delight
Orange & Pink Floral Arrangement
Live Laugh Love Napkin Ring
orange rose wedding bou
gold font ceremony rules
wedding dress in bridal suite
capella pool
roses
It's just forever
pink rose bouquet
vineyard in Napa
Cultivating a Family
rosary beads
directions to wedding
white detailed pipping on wedding cake
Birch Tree Wedding Cake Design
Natural Feast
wedding in the fields of Napa, California
tree in a pot against white wall
Calling the Bride and Groom
box of yellow roses

Information on the Wedding Details - An interview with Amy Bennett


What are wedding details?

By definition, details are anything that the bride and groom paid money for at the wedding. It is a personal decision that them and the wedding coordinator came up with. Details help tell the story. Twenty years down the line, you are not going to have the hardcopy of the wedding invitation. The flowers on the tables, the dress, the shoes, the bouquet, anything that was attached to the bouquet (like a locket), a copy of the menu, save-the-date cards, invitation, RSVP, linens, the plates, jewelry, the garter, napkins… Anything that was paid for that was a hard good, because these are choices and payments that they made. All the things that a potential bride down the line would like to see — these are the things that make a great details photo.


When are the details photos taken, and by when do they need to be ready to be photographed?

The details photos are all going to be taken while the bride is finishing getting her hair and makeup on. That happens during the first 15 minutes of coverage. The details should be ready and waiting by the time the photographer arrives at the bridal suite. It makes everything so much smoother.


Where are the details photos taken?

It is important to keep the location centralized, to keep the synergy of the album, for album and publishing purposes. It is going to be mid sunlight, so normally the best thing to do is put a sofa or chair at the opening of the porch, so that there is a lot of light coming in but not too much light.


What goes into preparing the room and details for photographs?

Flowers

It helps a lot when florists have everything in a nice presentation, and when they get the flowers to the bride’s room on time. The florists should have the flowers delivered 10 minutes before the photographer gets there.

Rings

When I get to the bridal suite, I would like to have the rings, of the groom and the bride, including her engagement ring. Normally, the bride has the engagement ring on, but someone has the wedding rings — usually it is the groomsman. Knowing where the rings are is important.


The Dress

The dress needs to be hung on a nice hanger. Placement is not as important — artistically, I like to find different places to hang it.


The Bridesmaids’ dresses

If there are 3 or more dresses, sometimes it is nice to shoot the bridesmaids’ dresses also. This adds another layer to the story.


The Room

One of the most important things — when the photographer arrives, they need the bridal suite to be impeccably clean. To get good pictures, you need to have the ability to shoot anywhere in the room, so that room needs to be a blank slate. I will take pictures of the scene, a wide shot of the getting ready room, a wide shot of what the view from the bridal room was that day.


Envelopes

Make sure to bring the envelopes. Details include pretty much any paper good that you created.


Gifts

Before the photographer arrives, nothing should be given out as far as gifts to parents, gifts to bridesmaids. Don’t open anything. Everything should be photographed after bride has her dress on. I really like it when brides and grooms think about the important people in their lives, and when they write letters, and give them gifts — I like capturing these moments.


Special tips to keep in mind

  • Always wash your hands before touching the dress.
  • Be careful where you hang the dress (e.g. fans in hotel rooms are risky because of dust)
  • If the dress does not have normal straps, sometimes it’s difficult to get it onto a hanger. For some of the dresses they might see a problem with, ask you dressmaker how to hang this the best to put this in a photo.
  • Make sure that the rings are clean… clean them. Because with macrophotography, everything shows up.
  • You may want to have two different dresses on the day of your wedding, But for the sake of the continuity of the photos, it is important to make the dress switch at the end of the photography coverage.


What do you look for in getting good details photos?

I like to shoot details in an editorial fashion, where they would look good in a magazine layout, really simple. Hotel rooms are not extraordinary, so I will do my best to find an area with good light, etc. I always look for good lighting. Basically I just look for simplicity, I look for a blank slate, and the detail is the star of the photo.

Some details work better to photograph with the bride holding them . Some people like those photos better sometimes. For example, the bouquet — it’s always nice to get the bridesmaid to hold it. Some things don’t make sense to photograph on their own — I will often have the bride cup the earrings so that I can take a photograph.


What details increase your chances of getting published after the fact, if that is important to you?

Things that are in vogue at the time will better your chances of being published in a blog. If the bride has chosen anything unique — like signage, hand-burned, or chalkboard signs — there is often a great response to those details. As far as the bouquet is concerned, publishers are looking for creativity, and not the stereotypical bouquet. If you have a wow-factor in something, it is more likely to be published.

Gifts are also important to some publications. A lot of destination weddings will include party favors or “survival guides” of staying in South Carolina, with a cocktail or something specific to the destination. However, it really depends in the publication. One of the brides I photographed created all of the details herself and she got into a DIY blog, but she probably wouldn’t have gotten into a glamour blog like style me pretty. Overall, blogs want a cross-section of everything.


What are some unique detail ideas you’ve seen?

Some brides have the date of their parents’ wedding day stitched into their wedding dress. Anything engraved is great. I like shooting the perfume bottle, if the person has a smell or a perfume that they wear. Jewelry boxes like a Tiffany’s box, stitching, tattoos, lockets, anything that can inject feeling into their wedding day can be great ideas for details shots. Things that can get emotional… tears are good.

Hair-style is a detail. Things that you put in your hair can also be photographed. Lighting like twinkle lights, lanterns, or sparklers also make great details shots. Some weddings will have a signature drink, or a signature dessert, with the same colors of your wedding.

Some of my favorite details are engraved handkerchiefs, and personal gifts. I always tell brides to think about the people who are important to them on that day, and really make a point to express their love for them with a gift, letter, etc. One of the brides I photographed found an old watch from the year the groom’s grandfather was born. Another bride gave her mother a poetry book by Pablo Neruda, and it ended up being a detail shot, and the wedding ended up being published in stylemepretty. I am sure that those special thoughts that went into the wedding are why it got published.


Are those things published as well?

Definitely. It injects some personality about the day. They always publish the personal things — the handkerchief that the bride gives to the dad that says “Today a fiancé, tomorrow a bride, always your daughter.” You have to throw in moments that will evoke tears, and laughter.


What about the groom?

I like to have any of the groom stuff in the bridal suite. And then we can deliver it to the groom’s room after the photos are taken. I like the boutonnieres, every flower, and his rings all in the bridal suite for the photos. If he has the I Do stickers on his shoes, or a special detail like that, I will take a picture of that in his room. Cufflinks, or anything engraved is awesome.